Tottenham Team for the First Match of the Season at Newcastle?
By Logan Holmes
With only eleven days to the start of the season and their first match at Newcastle, what will Tottenham’s team be for that game? There have been few indications, so far, from the preseason games of who Andre Villas-Boas will select as he assessed the quality of the players at the club. He has only one more match, against Valencia in Spain on Thursday evening, before the start of the season and next week a number of players will be away on international duty playing meaningless friendly matches three days before the season commences. He has yet to have an opportunity to work with Sandro or Giovani who have been playing for their countries at the Olympics and will not return until next week. Steven Caulker and Danny Rose have been with Team GB and will only have returned to training this week.
Assuming there are no new signings and that Luka Modric will not be available on 18th August to play against Newcastle, who will make the team?
Goalkeeper:
The choice would appear to be between Brad Friedel or Carlo Cudicini. Heurelho Gomes has had limited game time in preseason and when he played against Red Bulls in New York had nothing to do and so had no opportunity to impress the new manager.
HotspurHQ Selection: Friedel
Back 4:
The two full back positions should be occupied by Kyle Walker and Benoit Assou-Ekotto. Walker provides so much defensively and offensively to the team and there still appears to be little competition for the left back spot. The central defensive partnership is more difficult to assess. If Michael Dawson were to be named as captain in place of Ledley King, then he has secured his place in the team. If, however, the captaincy is handed to someone else then there is more competition for the two central defenders positions. New signing Jan Vertonghen appears a perfect fit for the style of play that Andre Villas-Boas will want to impose on the team and last season’s success, Younes Kaboul also has a strong shout for a starting place. William Gallas has impressed in preseason but age and injury are always a threat to his availability. With Steven Caulker only returning to the club he may need tim eto become accustomed to the manager’s expectations.
HotspurHQ Selection: Walker, Kaboul, Vertonghen, Assou-Ekotto
Midfield:
Gareth Bale is the first name on the team sheet and Aaron Lennon will probably join him to provide pace and width on both wings. In central midfield Gylfi Sigurdsson will start but the uncertainty around Rafael Van der Vaart’s fitness and whether Sandro will be ready after the hectic schedule over the past three weeks at the Olympics further clouds the picture. Scott Parker’s operation for an injury will provide Jake Livermore with further time to impress the new coach while Jermaine Jenas has been given a considerable amount of playing time in preseason. Tom Huddlestone may not have regained full fitness in time but Villas-Boas was obviously impressed with young Tom Carroll against Watford. Interviewed after the match at Vicarage Road Villas-Boas said,
"“Tom Carroll played 65 minutes in two different positions and shows the character of the player he’s becoming. Obviously a player that was used last year in the Europa League and a player we trust a lot on.”"
With uncertainty about Van der Vaart’s fitness and a tough away match against Newcastle United,
HotspurHQ Selection: Lennon, Sigurdsson, Sandro, Livermore, Bale
Striker:
Andre Villas-Boas has stated that a striker will be signed ahead of the new season but it is proving very difficult to reach agreement with clubs and players so there is no guarantee that it will happen in time for the match on 15th August. If no striker is signed before the new season, Jermain Defoe is the sole choice with Harry Kane or Giovani on the bench.
HotspurHQ Selection: Defoe
The substitutes may be: Cudicini, Dawson, Naughton, Huddlestone, Van der Vaart, Giovani, Kane.
The only issue remaining is who will be appointed as team captain. Dawson or Kaboul could be options but as suggested previously
HotspurHQ Appointment: Vertonghen
HotspurHQ Selection (Possible team): Friedel; Walker, Kaboul, Vertonghen (Capt), Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Sandro, Sigurdsson, Livermore, Bale; Defoe.
What team do you expect to see take the pitch against Newcastle United in eleven days time?
""